Thursday, November 1, 2012

The Holy Spirit walks with us as we witness

"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age'" (Matthew 28:18-20, New American Standard Bible).

More than a ship's captain, God knows how to navigate waters that lie ahead. He can help us walk through whatever comes across the path He leads us, even as we are given opportunities to witness. We are not expected to make disciples and baptize them without God's help.

M. David Sills explained this commandment as he wrote, "Making God known is what faith is all about" ("The Biblical Basis for Missions" article from The Apologetics Study Bible). When Jesus gave this command to the apostles, He knew God would send the Holy Spirit to guide them. In this Great Commission to go and share God's good news with others, we are not expected to go alone. God gives the Holy Spirit to guide each believer.

Lord, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to be with believers. Help us remember that You are Immanuel, God with us. Let us listen to the Holy Spirit's lead as we seek to witness who God is to others who do not know You yet.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo of Mortimer McCarthy at the wheel of the Terra Nova found on www.jamescairdsociety.com.